Israelis Surrounded, Shouted at by Locals in Cusco, Peru: ‘Murderers, Baby Killers, War Criminals’

Reflecto News | World | Antisemitism & Geopolitics Abroad

CUSCO, Peru — A group of Israeli tourists was surrounded and berated by a hostile crowd in the historic Peruvian city of Cusco on Tuesday, with locals shouting “murderers,” “baby killers,” and “war criminals” while ordering them to leave the country.

The incident, which was captured on video and has since gone viral on social media, underscores the escalating spillover of geopolitical tensions from the Middle East into global travel destinations, as the war with Iran and the ongoing campaign in Gaza continue to fuel anti-Israel sentiment abroad.

📹 What the Video Shows

The footage, taken in the Plaza de Armas—the main square of Cusco and a UNESCO World Heritage site—shows a crowd of Peruvian locals and other tourists aggressively confronting a small group of Israelis.

Transcripts of the video reveal the hostile chants:

“Murderers! Murderers!”
“¡Bebés asesinos!” (“Baby killers!”)
“War criminals!”
“Leave the country!”

The confrontation was so intense that onlookers reported the Israelis were forced to flee into a nearby McDonald’s restaurant to escape the mob and find safety.

The video does not show the Israelis engaging in debate or confrontation; they appear defensive, attempting to shield themselves and retreat from the aggressive crowd. The footage—shaky, handheld, and clearly taken by a bystander—captures a volatile, charged atmosphere that shocked the historic Inca capital, a city accustomed to welcoming millions of international tourists each year.

📍 Context: The War in Gaza and Iran Fuels Global Tensions

The confrontation in Cusco did not occur in a vacuum. It is the most recent incident in a global wave of protests and attacks targeting Israeli citizens, Jewish institutions, and symbols of the state amid the Israel-Iran war and the ongoing war in Gaza.

Peru is not typically a hotbed of anti-Israel activism. However, Cusco is a major international tourism hub. The harassment in such a public space suggests a wider radicalization of travelers and locals imported from global news coverage of the conflict, particularly graphic imagery emerging from Gaza.

Spain, Morocco, Turkey, and Argentina have all seen similar confrontations or targeted harassment against Israeli tourists and Jewish community members in recent months—even in areas not normally associated with political violence.

👮 Community and Official Response

Local Peruvian authorities have not yet issued a formal statement regarding the incident. However, a police presence was reportedly dispatched to the Plaza de Armas after the confrontation escalated, though the footage does not show the resolution of the event.

In response to the growing climate of hostility worldwide, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued several travel advisories over the past two months urging citizens to exercise “increased caution” abroad, avoid displaying overt signs of Israeli identity, and register with the local consulate before traveling to “sensitive regions,” though Peru was not specifically listed on the highest alert .

Jewish community leaders in Lima expressed dismay at the footage, noting that while protests against Israeli policy are common in major cities, the direct harassment of tourists in public squares represents a “dangerous escalation of imported conflict” that risks making travel untenable for Israeli and Jewish citizens worldwide .

🧠 Analysis: Importing the Conflict

The images of an angry mob screaming “murderers” at a group of what appear to be non-political tourists trying to enjoy a cultural landmark are deeply disturbing.

• From Screens to Streets: The viral nature of the conflict—clips of airstrikes, destruction, and casualties—radicalizes individuals who have no direct connection to the Middle East but feel a strong moral imperative to “protest.”
• No Distinction: The Cusco crowd made no distinction between Israeli government policy and individual Israeli citizens. The harassment is ethnic and nationalistic, blurring the line between political protest and hate speech.
• Self-Censorship: Incidents like these are already pressuring Israelis to hide their identity while traveling (e.g., avoiding speaking Hebrew in public). This effectively forces Israelis out of global public spaces out of fear for their safety.

The Cusco incident serves as a warning sign. If the war in Gaza and the conflict with Iran continue, the travel corridors of the world may become new fronts in an asymmetric diplomatic war—where the Israeli tourist becomes an unwilling ambassador, surrounded, scorned, and blamed for the actions of a government thousands of miles away.

📊 Key Takeaways for Reflecto News Readers

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